Uttarakhand Rain: 8 Rescued as Landslides Block Roads, Rivers Swell

Heavy rain triggered landslides, road blockages and rising river and stream levels across Uttarakhand on Tuesday, with eight people, including six students, rescued in two separate incidents. The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Udham Singh Nagar districts, while a yellow alert was issued for the remaining districts. Authorities in the four orange-alert districts were asked to remain cautious, and schools in Dehradun for Classes 1 to 12 were closed in view of the weather forecast.

Several areas recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall during the previous 24 hours, with Narendra Nagar receiving the highest rainfall at 265 mm. Yamkeshwar recorded 174 mm, Kashipur 170 mm, Kotdwar 141 mm and Ramnagar 131 mm, while Sahastradhara received 120.5 mm. Dehradun recorded 70.6 mm of rainfall. The intense downpour led to landslides and accumulation of debris at multiple locations, disrupting road connectivity and prompting authorities to begin clearing affected stretches.

The Yamunotri National Highway was blocked near Durbil and Junglechatti in Uttarkashi district after debris fell onto the road. In Chamoli district, debris entered the premises of the Kalpeshwar Temple during the heavy rain, although no casualties were reported. The continuing rainfall also caused several rivers and streams to swell, raising concerns about sudden increases in water levels in low-lying and vulnerable areas.

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The State Disaster Response Force carried out a rescue operation in Rishikesh after a Max vehicle overturned in the rain-swollen Been River at around 9.30 pm on Monday. One person trapped inside the vehicle was rescued initially, while another was swept some distance away by the strong current. A second SDRF team was brought in to assist with the operation, and rescuers eventually located and brought the second person to safety. Both rescued individuals were sent to hospital for treatment.

In another incident, six students from a private university became stranded in Thaan village in Dehradun while returning from a forest trek after the Swarna River swelled because of the heavy rain. An SDRF team from Dakpathar trekked around six kilometres to reach the students and safely brought all of them out of the affected area. The two rescue operations resulted in all eight people being brought to safety despite difficult weather and rising water levels.

SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi urged residents, tourists and students to exercise extreme caution during the rainy season, warning that rivers and streams can rise rapidly after heavy rainfall. He advised people to avoid riverbanks during rain and to undertake trekking or other outdoor activities only after checking weather forecasts. With alerts remaining in place, authorities are continuing to monitor rainfall, road conditions, river levels and vulnerable locations across Uttarakhand.

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